Going Green: PSTA Receives Sustainable Leadership Award

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — After proving a leader in sustainable initiatives, going green earned the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority an inaugural Sustainable Leadership Award Tuesday.

Presented by the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership and the Environmental Defense Fund, the PSTA was recognized for making sustainability and climate resilience an integral part of its business practices.

In 2021, PSTA developed a Sustainable Strategic Plan to improve energy efficiency and ensure all agency initiatives are sustainable. These measures include upgrading the HVAC system in 2018 and transitioning light fixtures to be fully LED, and initiate recycling options for its 30,000 daily transit customers. To date, 90 percent of light fixtures at the administration and operations buildings as well as off-site transit centers are now LED.

“We are honored to be recognized by the downtown partnership for our sustainability efforts. PSTA has made energy efficiency a goal for the agency,” said Brad Miller, chief executive officer of the PSTA. “While energy use has increased with the ongoing addition of electric buses, PSTA has improved energy efficiency by 33 percent since 2015.”

PSTA has been leading the charge for electric vehicle adoption in the state of Florida.

Combined with over 80 hybrid-electric buses, nearly half the fleet is more fuel-efficient and emits fewer greenhouse gas emissions than the traditional diesel bus.

In July, Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority officials announced a first-of-its-kind 10-year agreement with Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions, a nonregulated commercial brand of Duke Energy, to install, maintain and operate electric bus charging infrastructure, the latest step in PSTA’s ongoing mission to transform the fleet to clean and green by 2050.

In December, the PSTA Board of Directors approved a contract with Gillig LLC to purchase 60 all-electric buses and plug-in chargers over the next five years.

PSTA currently operates six all-electric buses with 14 buses on order with delivery scheduled throughout 2023.

To accommodate the growing power needs to charge and maintain these buses, PSTA is coordinating with Duke Energy to install, operate and maintain the electrical infrastructure of 12 electric bus chargers.

“PSTA is committed to the promise of a zero-emissions fleet by 2050,” said Miller. “This exciting partnership with Duke Energy will provide us the power and infrastructure to move closer to that goal.”

Each electric bus is recharged one of three ways: overnight charging, regenerative braking, and on-route charging stations. The battery range averages 200 miles or about 14 hours of operating time on a single charge. PSTA will save about $20,000 each year in diesel fuel costs with each electric bus.

“Pinellas County is pleased to support PSTA’s progress on a transition to a zero-emission fleet and this agreement is a step towards that,” said Pat Gerard, Pinellas county commissioner and chairwoman of the PSTA's board of directors. “Through this electric infrastructure investment, we are ensuring that Pinellas County residents benefit from cleaner air as we move toward a more sustainable, carbon-free energy system.”

Electric buses cost less to run than diesel, are easier to maintain, and each electric bus reduces 135 tons of carbon emissions from the air per year by providing public transit services as an alternative to personal vehicle use.

“Duke Energy’s long-term investment in PSTA’s electric bus charging infrastructure is helping to put Pinellas County at the forefront of the transition to cleaner energy,” said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. “We look forward to collaborating with PSTA and other customers to support the electrification of transportation vehicles and continue expanding EV charging across the state.”

Construction is set to begin in early 2023.

“We are also in the beginning stages of a solar project,” said Miller. “That way, the energy going into our electric buses can complete the cycle as truly 'zero-emission.'”

This Sustainability Leadership Award is the latest recognition for PSTA for its green initiatives. Additionally, as inaugural members of both the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council’s Regional Resiliency Coalition and the Pinellas County Sustainability and Resiliency Advisory Committee, PSTA provides oversight, strategic input and direction on climate-resilient and sustainable policies in the region.